She looked up and smiled but stayed seated on a small embankment. Her delight resembled that of a young girl entranced by her surroundings and refusing to move unless she was picked up. And by God, I ached to pick her up, to hold her tight against me. To close my lips over hers in one of those tempting kisses I yearned for. To lose myself in her memories and the pleasure she’d given me.
“I’m sorry.” I forced myself to break out of the clusterfuck of emotions zipping through my heated body.
She cocked her head to one side, her expression one of confusion. “For?”
“For Angela.”
“I guess first impressions are certainly lasting, right?” She waved it aside with a small shrug and stood. When she stepped down the embankment, her unsteady feet brought her sliding close to me. I reached out a hand to steady her but not letting go of her arm.
I took a step closer and cupped the back of my neck, wishing she wouldn’t look so damn beautiful. “My relationship with Angela is a little complicated, and you—” I tried to find the right words to explain Angela’s behavior. “That evening I gave you my coat, you interviewed with her.” While Angela might’ve accepted my explanation of helping Sianna outside the offices, I still didn’t trust her not to say anything.
Sia frowned as though she were trying to fit puzzle pieces together. “She recognized the coat, didn’t she?” she said at length.
Slowly, I nodded. “She assumed we’d slept together and that I arranged your interview.” To think she could’ve been mine, not my son’s. Fate was a twisted motherfucker.
Instead of irritation or anger, she uttered a low laugh. “I guess she wasn’t far of the mark, was she?”
“Do you regret it?”
She fidgeted with the hem of her jersey, keeping her head lowered. “No.”
I released the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Sliding a finger under her chin, I lifted. Her gaze met mine. “About last night. I’m sorry—” I broke off, unsure what to say. “I took advantage of you.”
Cerulean swirls made brighter by her surroundings, stared back at me. “You didn’t. I wanted you,” the admission was a soft one, and I almost missed it. “But it’s wrong. We shouldn’t have.”
Taking a deep breath, I forced back the disappointment I couldn’t quite kick and tried to look away, but my eyes were drawn back to her full pink lips. I still tasted last night’s kiss. “I know.” I sighed. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. I groaned. “Fuck, Sia, would you please stop doing that? There’s only so much temptation my cock can take, and it's hard as fuck,” I mumbled, failing miserably in my quest to stay away.
Her eyes flicked up to mine. “Doing what?”
I couldn’t stop myself. I reached up and rubbed a thumb across her bottom lip. “Biting your lip,” I muttered. “Jesus, Princess, you have no idea what you do to me.”
Her tongue darted out, wetting her lower lip. I willed my heart rate to slow down so I could focus on anything but the mesmerizing beauty standing with me. I failed. My eyes followed the action as the sensation seeped from the tip of her tongue through the pad of my thumb and filtered down through every part of my body. Giving no thought to my actions, I slipped a hand around her waist and closed the gap between our bodies.
Her eyes darkened, reflecting the same longing in mine before her breath hitched. “Prince.”
At the sound of my name, I crashed my lips to hers. At that moment, everything else ceased to exist. All that mattered was the stunning woman in front of me, surrounded by an exotic forest that enhanced her beauty and made her alluring. I didn’t give a fuck about where we were and who’d see us. Pure bliss settled over me, usurping my senses and logical reasoning. Her groans told me she felt the same, and for once, I put myself first, took what I wanted, not denying myself the passion I deserved. Only, it came at a price. How willing was I to hurt my son?
As if on cue, his voice rang through the observatory, “Sianna?” the single word had us jumping apart and once again dousing the desire, I felt in her.
Annoyed and trying to settle my breathing, my gaze connected with hers. Instead of a blush, her eyes glazed over, and her chin trembled. She pulled in small shallows breaths before she dropped her head to hide the tears.
“Please don’t cry, Princess.” An indistinct ache hit my heart. I reached out a hand but dropped it when she stepped back.Fuck. What am I doing to her?A flood of emotions weaved through my mind as I tried to look away but couldn’t. Not without knowing she was okay. I blinked, sucking in a frustrated breath when Rayden rounded the corner.
He stopped short. “Dad? What are you doing here?” Surprise lined his voice before his gaze shifted to Sianna. “Hey, babe, you okay? You looked flushed.” He neared her and slipped a hand around her waist. “You’re crying.” His head turned my way.
My body ached from holding myself rigid. I clenched my fingers to keep from saying something I didn’t want to. He stared at me, but I refused to look at him, afraid my eyes would reveal my feelings or give away something skimming my very soul that I didn’t want to face yet, worse still, didn’t know how to.
I inhaled sharply and muttered, “She met your mother.”
“Oh, shit.” Rayden was quick to understand.
He knew his mother could be tactless at times and probably accepted she’d said something to Sia. I felt like a real tool for not only kissing my son’s girlfriend but lying to him. What father did that to the son he loved? I ran a hand down my face trying to wipe away the shame.
Sia’s gaze held mine, piercing me with a vulnerable plea as Rayden guided her out of the observatory. I wasn’t sure what to read in there. Forgiveness? Humiliation? Shoving my hands in my pockets, I ground my teeth. Raw pain pierced my chest, searing through my heart. I watched them leave, hard-pressed to restrain my desire and ultimately, the affection I held for that woman. She wasn’t mine to have. She once was, and I lost her. Could I stand losing her again? If it meant keeping the son, I loved more than life itself, yes. Cursing, I left the observatory. It was better for my sanity if I went back to the city. Lying had come naturally in front of Rayden. I could easily make up an excuse to stay away.
